Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama is returning to the campaign trail ahead of two tightly contested gubernatorial elections.
According to CNN, Obama will appear in Norfolk with former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate running against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia’s governor’s race. The former president will also travel to Newark to campaign with Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who faces Republican former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey ahead of Tuesday's (November 4) election.
The Virginia and New Jersey races, traditionally held a year after presidential elections, are viewed as early indicators of national political sentiment. Spanberger and Sherrill are favored in their blue-leaning states, though neither race is considered a lock. Four years ago, Republican Glenn Youngkin flipped Virginia’s governorship, and polling shows Sherrill maintaining only a single-digit edge over Ciattarelli.
Obama follows a wave of prominent Democrats who have recently hit the trail for Spanberger and Sherrill, including Governors Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared with Sherrill on Thursday (October 30), highlighting their work securing funding for the Gateway Tunnel rail project between New Jersey and New York City and taking aim at Trump for canceling it.
“The problem is that Jack Ciattarelli knows that standing up for New Jersey would require standing up to Donald Trump, and he just doesn’t have the backbone to do that,” Buttigieg said.
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